Calculator device



June 15, 1965 D. L MILLER CALCULATGR DEVICE Filed July 22, 1963 1: OFF DUTY 2: SLEEPER BIRTH zDRlVING 410N DUTY (NUT nmvms) United States Patent 3,189,272 CALCULATOR DEVICE Dale L. Miller, Runnells, Iowa (9341 .Ioyzelle Drive, Garden Grove, Calif.) Filed July 22, 196.3, Ser. No. 296,601 Claims. (Cl. 23S-61) This invention relates to a calculator device, which is particularly well suited for calculating time represented by a line graph on a time data sheet.

The AInterstate Commerce Commission provides truck drivers with a drivers daily log which they complete daily. `This includes initially making a graph of their activity for the day on graph paper which has the type of activity as an ordinate and twenty-four hours of the day along the abscissa. There are four classifications of activities along the ordinate and the time for each of these classifications must be totalled up and should give a grand total for each day of twenty-four hours. While the form provided by the Interstate Commerce Commission is quite practical for purposes of maintaining records of how an individual truck drivers time was spent, it is somewhat tedious calculating from the graph the number of hours in each activity classification.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a calculator to aid truck drivers, dispatchers, Interstate Commerce Commission inspectors and others in Interstate operation to compute driving and on-duty hours quickly and accurately.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a calculator which is large enough for taking readings but small enough to carry in a persons pocket.

A further object of this invention yis to provide a calculator device which is simple in design, economical to manufacture and refined in appearance.

This invention consists Vin the construction, arrangements, and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled calculator unit;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the end portions of the calculator of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the calculator illustrating in particular the two channels and their construction at different points along the length of the calculator;

FIG. 4 is a perspectivie View of one of the slider elements slidably held within the channels t the calculator unit;

FIG. 5 is a perspective fragmentary view of the calculator unit and in particular a slider element positioned in one of the channels;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the graph portion of the drivers daily log form showing in particular by a graph line the activity of a truck driver on a typical-day;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the calculator of FIG. l positioned over the graph portion of the drivers daily log form and in particular showing the manner in which the right hand section of the driving hours are calculated from the graph;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 7 showing however the manner in which the left hand section of the driving hours on the graph paper are calculated;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of the calculator showing the total number of hours represented on the graph paper on the right hand side thereof for driving;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of the calculator 3,189,272 Patented June 15', 1965 ICC showing the total number of hours taken from the graph paper on the left hand side for driving; and

FIG. 1l shows the total number of hou-rs for driving for the entire twenty-four hour period represented by the graph paper including both the left hand and right hand sides.

In FIG. l the calculator is generally referred to by reference numeral 10 and is shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 being used in connection with a log form data sheet 12.

Basically, the calculator is comprised of three different parts, a frame 14 (FIG. l), a movable slider element 16 and frame end portions 18. The frame 14 is elongated and provided with a pair of longitudinal channels 20 and 22,'which are parallel to each other. In each of the side walls of the channels, grooves 24 are formed extending the full length thereof. Scale markings are associated with each of the channels 20 and 22 as shown in FIG. 7 by the reference numeral 26 indicating the scale for channel 20 and the reference numeral 28 indicating the scale for the channel 22. The scale 26 includes numbering from the left side from 0 to l5 and 0 to 10 with markings for quarter sections which correspond to the four quarters of an hour. The scale 28 is similar to the scale 26 but with numbers arranged in reverse order to be read beginning at the right end of the frame 14. Each channel is provided with an elongated opening through the bottom along the portion marked O to l5 as shown at 30 for channel 20 and'at 32 for channel 22 in FIG. 7.

The channels 20 and 22 are designed to receive the movable slider elements 16 which are block-like in shape with ribs 34 at each side for mating engagement with the grooves 24 (FIG. 5). A finger shoulder 36 is mounted on the top of each slider for moving the slider within the channels. The end sections 18 of the frame 14 have the same general shape as the frame 14 and are provided with a pair of dowel elements 38 (FIG. 2) which are received in thelongitudinal holes in the end of the frame such as'the hole 40 shown in FIG. 5.

The log sheet 12 (FIG. 6)' is divided into hoursV and quarter hours for a twenty-four hour day along the abscissa as shown at 42 in FIG. 6 and along the ordinate 44, is divided into four classifications of truck driver activity (l) off duty, (2) sleeper berth, (3) driving on duty and (4) on duty--not driving. The recorded data includes a horizontal line 46 which extends within the appropriate ordinate classification to indicate how the drivers time has been spent. A vertical line 48 extends between one classification and another, or in other words between two horizontal lines in two different driver activity classifications.

The procedure for completing the drivers log including the graph, and operatingV calculator to determine the number of hours the driver has spent during a day at each of the four classifications of driver activity are illustrated by the completed log graph in FIG. 6 and the use of the calculator in combination with the log graph in FIGS. 7 through 11. Referring to FIG. 6 it is noted that the driver spent the early part of the morning either driving or on duty but not driving and from 6 am. to 5 pm. the driver was off duty. From 5 p.m. however to l2 p.m. the driver was either driving or on duty but not driving. Thus with the calculator 10 it is possible to calculate the time spent at each of these forms of activity. For purposes of illustration FIGS. 7 through 1l illustrate the manner in which the time spent driving is calculated from the graph of FIG. 6. With the calculator 10 placed over the graph such that the driving and on duty but not driving horizontal lines appear in the channel opening 32, the slider elements 16 are moved from the left side of the calculator 10 to the right side into alignment with each of the horizontal lines representing driving time. Accordingly there is a space between the slider element 16 where the driver was on duty but not driving. In FIG. 8,

' the opening 3d in channel 24) is placed over the horizontal lines for the driving and on duty but not driving graph line and the slider elements 16 Within the channel being moved from the right side to the leftside to correspond with the horizontal line in the driving bracket again leaving space between the slider elements 16 for non driving time. FIG. 9 represents the slider elements moved into engagement with each other to the right side of the calculator in the channel 22 thereby giving at a glance the total number of hours for driving as" represented by the graph line 46 on the right hand side ofthe graph. FIG. 10, similarly shows that 41A; hours were the total number of hours spent driving as (41A hrs.) represented ,byV the horizontal graph line 46 on the left hand sideV ofthe graph. To give the total number of hours spent driving during the given day represented by the graph in FIG. 6, Slider'elements totalling four and a quarter hours are moved from the left hand side of. the channel 22 to the right hand side thereby addingto the five and three, quarter hours shown in FIG. 9 and giving `a total of 10 hours for driving time for the day' used in the example.v Similar procedures may be used in determining the time spent on duty but not driving, in the sleeper berth, or ol duty.

Some changes may be made in the Vconstruction and arrangement of my calculator device without departing4 from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and itY is my intention to cover by `my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I. A calculator comprising inV combination` a log sheet having scalemarkings thereonv and `data markings superimposed on said scale markings to diagrarnmatically indicate recorded data, an overlay assembly including a frame member having an elongated opening formed therethrough i for cooperation with said log sheet, a plurality of movablev elements dimensioned to correspond with the scale markings and adapted to be moved into said opening, and scale markings provided on` said overlay assemblyk along the opening thereof to indicate the count of'movable ings, and subsequently being adapted to be merged together in continuous relation to read on said scale markings along said opening for the composite total value ofy the selected data.

2. The structure of claim I wherein said movablerele-V ments have a width equal to the spacing betweenV adjacent scale markings on said log sheet. 3. YThe ystructure of claim I wherein said scale markings on said overlay assembly include two groups of markings which are arranged to be read from the opposite ends of said frame member towardsV the center thereof. Y

4. The structure of claim ll wherein said frame member includes a second elongated opening for cooperation with said log sheet, and a pluralityy of movable elements are adapted to be moved into said second opening, and

scale markings provided on said overlay assembly along the second opening to indicate the count of movable elements, and said assembly adapted to be placed over said Vlog sheet so lthat said recorded data appears through said References Cited. by the Examiner UNITED STATES vPATENTS 973,905 1,200,569 10/16 Young 23S-61 '2,583,946 1/5'2y Jenson et al. 23S- 61 Y Y FOREIGN PATENTS k379,989 p 8/23 Germany.

- 626,648 1/52 Germany.

LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner.

10/l0 Alexander --1 23S-70 

1. A CALCULATOR COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A LOG SHEET HAVING SCALE MARKINGS THEREON AND DATA MARKINGS SUPERIMPOSED ON SAID SCALE MARKINGS TO DIAGRAMMATICALLY INDICATE RECORDED, DATA, AN OVERLAY ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A FRAME MEMBER HAVING AN ELONGATED OPENING FORMED THERETHROUGH FOR COOPERATING WITH SAID LOG SHEET, A PLURALITY OF MOVABLE ELEMENTS DIMENSIONED TO CORRESPOND WITH THE SCALE MARKINGS AND ADAPTED TO BE MOVED INTO SAID OPENING, AND SCALE MARKINGS PROVIDED ON SAID OVERLAY ASSEMBLY ALONG THE OPENING THEREOF TO INDICATE THE COUNT OF MOVABLE ELEMENTS, SAID OVERLAY ASSEMBLY ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED ABOVE SAID LOG SHEET SO THAT SAID RECORDED DATA APPEARS THROUGH SAID OPENING IN SAID FRAME, SAID MOVABLE ELEMENTS BEING ADAPTED TO BE PLACED FIRST IN REGISTERING ALIGNMENT WITH SELECTED DATA MARKINGS AS THEY OCCUR IN SAID OPENINGS, AND SUBSEQUENTLY BEING ADAPTED TO BE MERGED TOGETHER IN CONTINUOUS RELATION TO READ ON SAID SCALE MARKINGS ALONG SAID OPENING FOR THE COMPOSITE TOTAL VALUE OF THE SELECTED DATA. 